"You stay bought into it when you see your opponent sucking air and physically failing, and you're still fit and ready, and you know you own his ass."-Former Bama LB Cory Reamer on Coach Cochran's training program

Question for you - as a minor hockey official I was taught that icing should be called if a defending player is unable to play the puck as it is shot down the ice. Let's look at the non-icing call in the Vancouver and San Jose game near the end of the game. When the puck is shot out by Dan Boyle (slap shot) it is almost at Daniel Sedin's head and yes, it looks like it hits a shoulder as he ducks. At no time - at least in my opinion - could he play the puck so if this was a minor hockey game, I would also call icing! Is the NHL any different or should it have been called icing just for the fact that it did hit his shoulder?

Marc Forget, Kingston, ON

Marc: I wish there some way to put a positive spin on this but there just isn't. Icing should have been immediately waived off and nullified when Dan Boyle's end zone clearing slap shot deflected off Daniel Sedin's shoulder. The shot was hard and fast for sure and contact was obviously not easy to detect. Given Sedin's defensive posture as the shot approached him high off the glass and his reaction once it struck and passed by, it is unfortunate that one of the four officials was unable to detect it.

With the Vancouver net empty, had the icing been waived off the odds would be very good that the Sharks would have come away with a victory - maybe even iced it with an open net goal at that point. Once the whistle blew and the Sharks protested, if one member of the officiating crew had confirmed the contact through a meeting of minds in a huddle, the subsequent faceoff would have been conducted at center ice.

A centre ice face off would likely result in Luongo returning to his goal; probably to the half way point in his end zone until puck possession was determined. At the very least the Canucks would have had to gain the attacking zone.

Odds here would again favor a San Jose victory and force Game 6 back in the Shark Tank. On this night, none of it would happen. In all probability it had an effect on the game and the series. It was unfortunately one that was missed. I am certain that each member of the officiating crew last night wishes he had another look, a better angle, another opportunity. None were to be had.

“You’ve been waiting for it for a long time, but you got it. You wanted it, you got it. We’re bringing it home.’’